This is technically a fanfiction of a long-standing roleplay and also of a series that I’m in the process that I’m writing up that was meant to be a short story but has expanded to a number of books (currently writing book 4 of unknown quantity) which will have its own off shoot miniseries for various reasons. They’ll be a few Christmas Stories around this roleplay because there are just too many possibilities so keep your eyes peeled.

I’m afraid I haven’t got an up to date uploaded version of this one yet but I may have something soon

Story

Winter in Gamoria was never anything pretty or magical as such things did not exist in the slightest in the demon world. There was snow but it did not twinkle and glisten in the morning night, instead it was thick, heavy and practically bristling with its own self gathered power that virtually made the stuff alive. It clogged up the streets, covered everything that it possibly could do and stuck resolutely to anything that it couldn’t possibly cover. The ice that sprawled its way underneath was harsh, razor sharp and once latched onto any form of skin would expand rapidly to cover the temporary host and devour them completely. Winter was a time of death in the demon world, only the strong survived and everyone knew that if you were foolish to be caught out in the snow then you were liable to end up nothing more than a pile of maggots when the slight touch of spring came.

Trudging through the snow, Aodh was not the least bit bothered by the stuff as he had never really found it to be anything that ever bothered him. Sure, he felt the temperature drop down and would spend his nights curled up in something that could just about pass for a blanket shaking ever so slightly but in comparison to some of the other street rats that he occasionally ordained to hang out with in the hopes of being able to swipe a few meals, he was never as bad as soon. Plus, he was sure as hell nowhere near as bad as Arje who at the slightest drop of cool water onto his body would practically turn into a sniveling, shivering bundle of doom and gloom that Aodh had zero idea about how he survived.

It was a shame really, because initially Aodh had kept Arje with him because he thought that Arje would be a good little heat source in the darker parts of winter. At least then he would be useful and not a burden, though Aodh had as of yet to dump the youngster completely though he hid him well. It had been a grueling three months since the pair had managed to slip out of the house undetected by Qasim and his men and whilst there were regular patrols of Em’Dari no one ever really paid attention to little rats and maggots that roamed the streets. Practically every other demon had spent their time living rough at some point or other so they did not bother to check too closely for him or his brother. Which was good because it kept that senile old man away from them but it was troublesome because Aodh got lumbered with the sniveling, wheezing brat all of the time and his plan to sell Arje to someone as a personal heater had completely failed.

Of course, it would have just been a money-making scam because he would instruct Arje to run away after a night and return to him before they moved on but he hadn’t been able to implement that little money spinning deal in the slightest which annoyed him. Though really Aodh should have learnt from the time when he had given Arje a bath after a particularly rough session from Qasim, the poor half fire demon had practically died on him after a single bucket of water was tipped over his bright red hair and Aodh had only spent the next two days constantly awake trying to save the other because he did not want to get beaten by his father for killing the boy.

Qasim was the only one who was allowed to do that, as harsh and heavy as that sounded but there again the Head of the Em’Dari was indeed a very sick man.

Aodh shook his head as a dollop of snow came crashing down from a nearby balcony accompanied by some yelling and screaming which he ignored completely as it was perfectly normal to hear such things to the point where it was strange just to hear two people having a semi-civilized conversation. Letting out a huff he was quick to brush off the snowflakes and make sure that there were no icicles lingering in his shaggy mess of a hair do before blinking and hurriedly looking around as if he had lost something.

“Hoi, cockroach!” Aodh called out, his eyes narrowing in anger, not panic or worry, as he looked around for the other, “What did I say about…”

An unknown emotion clogged up the thirteen-year old’s throat as he spotted the five-year-old red headed figure sitting on the roadside looking a terrible shade of purple and shivering quite uncontrollably. A series of syllables that were along the lines of something akin to ‘No’ repeated constantly left Aodh’s mouth as he hurried back to the youngster’s side and made frantic dusting motions with his hands to try and get rid of the lingering snow or find the ice which had gotten onto him.

“Arje! I told you to stay away from this stuff!” he scolded harshly, finding several shards on the youngster’s palm which were thankfully just taking hold so could still be removed. He scowled at the youngster as he pulled them out, uncaring for the streams of blood that began to pool out of the fresh cuts, “You know that if your inner flame goes out you’ll die! Why did you pick up ice you…”

One look into those large green eyes however stopped him short as unlike usual they were filled with complete terror and a small hand raised to point up behind Aodh. Glancing back, the elder blanched at seeing a troop of elite Em’Dari who were tearing through the street and seemingly checking everyone. An Ice demon who was clearly happy as punch to be in his element flicked his hand up into the air and caused more lethal shards of ice to go flying out towards every possible corner where any potential dregs of the gutter could be hiding.

Aodh did not even pause to think as he pulled Arje up into his arms and took off running as fast as his legs would carrying him. The usual dregs of the Em’Dari were easy to avoid and escape from, these elite troops would not stop until given express orders to do so. Qasim must have been getting bored and lonely if he was sending those men out after them.

“Hey! You, halt!” a voice drifted across him on the wind and Aodh cursed, realizing that the ice which had landed in Arje’s hand may have had some kind of tracker in it but he did not even think about stopping running. It would certainly spell his doom if he were to be caught and there was no way he was going back to that life in the slightest. He charged straight into the maze-like streets that made up the dreggabash of Gamoria and dodged around corners and mismatched streets in the hope to lose the Elite. Though he knew already that his chances of managing to do that were practically none existent at the best of times.

Still he kept going, ignoring the yells of demons who lingered around and the grabbing hands that tried to hinder his process in the hopes that there would be a reward even though it would be just to survive another day more than likely. Aodh was a stubborn brat and would not go down without a fight. Though a yell of surprise escaped him when an Elite appeared at the end of the pathway he was running down and a small vine like rope latched onto his ankle, pulling him to the ground. “Hell no!” Aodh cursed, pulling back on the vine with desperation whilst pushing at Arje, “Get up and scram cockroach!”

Arje blinked at him for a second, clearly scared and confused but Aodh just growled, grabbed his arm and flung the youngster away, “Get your arse moving, cockroach! You can’t be caught!”

Opening his mouth to say something, Arje nodded and attempted to stand but a blind man could see that the five-year-old was just too cold to do anything. The ice must have managed to take hold as the boy was practically white from head to toe, even his normally shocking red hair had become such a pale shade that it was white. But there was a determination in the youngster’s eyes as he shook his head, lips moving to form words but Aodh could not understand them in the slightest. Though horror gripped him as he saw the pathetic little flickers of flames building in Arje’s palms as the tiny child extended them out towards the towering men who were storming towards the pair.

“Arje! No!” Aodh yelled at the exact same time as another yell started, whether it be the shouting of men or the cry of a woman the young shadow demon did not know as suddenly the small little alley they were in was engulfed in a soft yellow light that was nothing like the harsh orange flames that should have consumed them.

It took the youngster a good few moments to realize that the light was emanating from something that he had never truly seen before. A woman was standing next to him in the street, appearing to be small and dainty but the way she held herself made her appear regal and commanding with a stern expression on a fine face that was slightly round and held a warm glow that suggested softness, summer and something that the young boy on the floor could not quite manage to place.

The woman had long midnight black hair that was braided with silk ribbons and flowers that shimmered in the light that she seemed to be emanating from her own body and dark brown eyes that spoke of power and wisdom beyond anything that he had ever seen before. She wore a flowing long sleeved coat style dress that was a deep red shimmering colour with white fur lining on the sleeves and around the collar. Aodh had never seen a woman like her before, the only comparison he had was his own mother who was a stick thin woman who may have been beautiful at one time but was now just as monstrous as any demon going and up until three years ago, his big sister whom had been pretty but nothing like this woman. She must have been an Angel, Aodh thought to himself and found that he relaxed a little in her presence at that thought.

She smiled so pleasantly down at him that he found himself yearning to have that smile directed at him for all of eternity even if he did not quite understand as to why. “There you are,” the voice that drifted out of the woman’s mouth was like the first warm breath of air after the snows had melted away and it nearly brought a smile to Aodh’s face if he hadn’t had been so confused, “I was wondering where you had run off too.”

Opening his mouth to respond, Aodh was stopped short when possibly the biggest ever demon he had seen in his life stepped around the glowing woman to gently bend down and pick up the slumped form of Arje from the floor and pull him into his arms. The demon stood around seven-foot-tall with tanned skin that held white lines upon it the likes of which Aodh had never seen in the slightest and he had long black hair that held a single straight silver line from the center of his crown all the way down to his tips. He was rippling with muscles and held an air of age, power and dominance about him that reflected in the piercing black eyes. A cheeky smirk crossed the demons face, “This one is barely out of nappy rags. Are you sure?”

“Valamir, do not be so harsh,” the woman replied in a gentle reprimanding manner that was filled with an emotion that Aodh had never heard anyone use, “You were once the same as him. If not worse.”

Aodh choked on his words, no one would dare to call any of the Elite Em’Dari such a term and expect to get away with it but a glance towards said Elite members made Aodh blink because they were literally virtually crowding together at the end of the alleyway in terror, none of them daring to move a muscle to try and stop whatever was going on. Even though he was still completely confused, Aodh accepted the hand which was offered to him by the other demon and the next thing he knew, the glowing woman had stepped next to him and the cold, dark, harsh unforgiving world disappeared in an instant to be replaced by somewhere that was warm, cozy and held a smell of freshly baked sweet goods. The shock to his system made Aodh pass out immediately but Valamir merely smiled as he caught the teenager and pulled him into a hold.

“Are you sure about this, Evelyn?” Valamir asked, looking towards his summoner, “We could get into a lot of trouble for this.”

“When have you ever cared about doing that my little trouble maker?” Evelyn responded as she removed the cloak that she wore and sent it to rest in the cupboard where it would be safest for the time being.

For a second the Light Demon pouted towards his Summoner but then smiled and shrugged, “True enough. Though you’ve at least taught me a little on manners.”

“Hardly,” Evelyn responded as she came forward to pluck the little fire demon out of Valamir’s arms, “But I suppose I’ll let you off this time. Mind you take good care of him, he’ll be annoyed when he wakes up.”

Valamir laughed loudly as he settled Aodh into a better hold, “Of course he will. Stupid bugger won’t know what the heck is going on in the slightest.”

Rolling her eyes, Evelyn gave her demon a quick peck on the lips before heading swiftly to the large central kitchens where she had set aside one of the fire ovens with the very special task of rejuvenating the flame within Arje’s soul before it went out. Some of the ice had already left the boy as colour was beginning to return to his cheeks and hair which was good and the lady smiled as she carefully set the boy down on a wooden tray which had been made into a sort of bed to hopefully make the whole experience a bit better. Though Evelyn was not worried about the child burning himself, he would be surrounded by his natural element after all.

Carefully he was pushed into the oven where immediately the flames that had been comfortably burning away practically roared into life as they sensed the immediate pressing danger to one of their own. One little fire element was particularly bold enough to detach itself and hurry across to the boy in order to personally warm up his heart. Smiling Evelyn headed back to give Valamir a hand because whilst he had certainly come a long way from the garish brute he had first been when she had called him to her side, childcare was something still slightly alien to him.

Something which was sure to prove interesting in a few years’ time but Evelyn was more concerned with making sure that her future child’s two demons survived the next few months because she would not allow anyone else to be called to their side after reading the future fortune stones earlier that month.

It was well into the third day of their visit that either boy stirred from the heavy slumber that had been granted to them and naturally Aodh was the first one to wake up. He blinked in confusion for a few seconds, not recognizing the room around him before leaping upright in a panic as for a fraction of a second he thought that he was back in his father’s bedchambers. Though a second glance around destroyed that illusion as the room he was in was sparsely decorated but had pleasant warm furniture and even a vase with flowers on it. Not that Aodh knew what they were of course, they could have been some kind of monster for all he knew so he gave them a wide birth indeed as he tried to get out of the room only to find his way blocked by Valamir who was just happening to come and check on him.

“Oh hey,” Valamir said with a smirk as the shadow demon boy jumped in surprise, “It’s a good thing you’re up. Eve was getting worried.”

“What?” Aodh managed, unable to think straight because this place was just so weird and strange to the eyes that he had a head ache coming on. Plus, there was no sign of Arje and he had to make sure that the cockroach was at least still around for…some reason that he didn’t understand.

Valamir grinned, punching him lightly on the shoulder, “Don’t think so much. It’ll distract you. Come on, I’ll take you downstairs. Eve’s been playing for a while now and I think she needs a break.”

Aodh didn’t move, glaring at the other demon, “What the hell are you talking about?”

Taking a step back, Aodh bared his teeth towards the bigger man even though he knew fine well that going into a fight with him would be pretty stupid but it was instinctual to not trust anyone. Valamir however just smiled and for a second Aodh felt light headed and then he was downstairs in the living room trying to clear the dancing lights out of his eyes.

So, it was understandable that he missed the cry of, “Ao-ge!” and was knocked flat on his back by a five-year-old boy who literally looked to be the most lively that he had ever been.

“Ugh, cockroach,” Aodh complained, pushing the boy away as he sat back up before momentarily forgetting himself and pulling the happy youngster into his chest, only to push him back with a deadly glare, “You ever try to kill yourself for me again and I swear I’ll pulverize you into a million bits, do you understand you annoying little wazzock?”

A bright smile was his response, followed by a series of nods as Arje rarely spoke for someone his age. Aodh nodded and went to push the boy away again but gave into the happy look with an annoyed sounding sigh. Arje happily threw himself around his brother and held him tightly, snuggling close and Aodh was surprised at just how warm the other felt. He looked down at the boy, “How come you’re so warm?”

Evelyn chuckled lightly as she placed down a cup she had been drinking out of, “Fire demons like him need constant warmth to be able to function properly so I put him in one of the ovens in the kitchens and the fire has really taken to him. If you can find a place with one, it would be a good way to keep him alive and happy and you warm.”

Staring at the woman in wonder, Aodh noticed that today she wore the more traditional robes that he had heard summoners wore though these sparkled with diamonds arranged in a simply stunning pattern and had a base colour of blue with gold lining around the precious stones. Her hair remained the same though the ribbons had changed colour to match the robe. Finally, his mind clicked and he nearly let out a choked sound, “You’re Lady Del’Ran, aren’t you?”

“Please, call me Evelyn, that title is way too fancy for me,” Evelyn replied with a soft smile, “But yes, I am her and this is Valamir my demon. My Guardian is off sorting out some business in the human realm so you do not need to panic about him coming and causing a scene.”

Aodh let out a breath, “No wonder they wouldn’t come near you.”

“No, it would be a fool who tried,” Evelyn smiled, “Not even your father would risk it and he has somewhat permission to talk to me. Though I personally find him to be a beastly man with ambitions that are way above his station.”

Aodh just stared and shook his head, “We should go, Lady…we’ll only bring you trouble.”

“No, you won’t,” Evelyn said softly, “We’re not in Gamoria anymore and your father would have to ask permission to come here.”

Looking confused at that notion, Aodh remained dumbstruck on the floor as Evelyn stood up, gracefully scooped up Arje to hand him over to Valamir who seemed perfectly happy to take over playtime with the cheeky little scamp and then she offered her hand to the boy on the floor. Aodh took it without even questioning just what he was doing in the slightest and allowed himself to be led to a set of glass doors that led out onto a balcony bathed in sunlight. It took Aodh a few seconds to adjust to the sudden glow and even when he did he shivered a little before staring up in wonder at the sky that was a dark shade of blue with a blazing sun pouring down onto the streets below him.

He cast his eyes towards them in awe and wonder, unable to work out if what he was looking at was real or not. There were hundreds of houses, all uniquely built out of varying materials that it was almost like looking into a puddle filled with oil that glinted off the torch light of some half-forgotten lamp. There were a mixture of people moving about, smiling and actively helping each other and Aodh pulled back in fright because this place was so alien that he did not want to see it. Though after a moment or two he crept back to peer forward and nearly started when a bird, large with golden brown feathers came and landed next to him with a fearsome look in its eye.

Evelyn laughed at him gently, “No need to worry. This is an Eagle, a messenger bird from one of the Kings of the human realm. He’s probably bringing me Christmas Greetings.”

“What?” Aodh asked, shaking his head and turning to look at the woman with confusion, “Why are you showing me all of this? I am a dirty shadow demon, this place is…”

“Where you’ll end up one day,” Evelyn spoke quietly, “Because even though you don’t understand this whole place, you’re not running away.”

Aodh went to argue the point when he blinked and realized that her words actually ran true. Not once since clasping eyes on this strange, truly captivating woman had he wanted to grab hold of Arje and run. Normally he would suspect any offer of kindness as being nothing more than a way to get something but this time there was nothing like that. He blinked and set his jaw firmly, “I ask again, why?”

Evelyn shrugged, “Because I wanted to. Plus, it’ll annoy Qasim that you’ve seen something that he can only ever dream of. Plus, like I said, one day this place will be your home though how you get here I shall leave as a mystery. I would like to keep you here for as long as possible but I know that can’t be done. But there is an allowance for Christmas, so I decided to use it.”

“Christmas?” Aodh asked, sounding a little on the dubious side only to receive a smile that was so bright he could not help but return it even if he did not have a single clue as to what was going on. All he knew at that moment in time was that he was warm, dressed smartly, Arje was bright and bubbly in a way that he had never been and even if it was only for a little while, they could both sleep easy without fears of getting dragged off into some new nightmare.

Of course, it still didn’t answer his question but he decided to follow Valamir’s advice and not over think things. This was one of those times where it was best just to react as came naturally. Which at that precise moment in time meant grabbing hold of a squealing Arje to throw him up into the air. Evelyn smiled at the pair of them and chuckled, accepting the message from the Eagle and letting the boys just get on with it. This was their time to be free and to experience joy for the first time and she was not going to interfere with that in the slightest.